E-Shave.... E being Excellent!

[joel]

E-Shave products are often thought of as "new age" and are often written off as they are viewed as too "shee shee" and not traditional enough. While E-Shave doesn't have a century old company history, they do have simply outstanding products. From shaving brushes, to shaving creams to after-shaves, they're all simply first rate products that leave very little to be desired.



The big difference with E-Shave products, and possibly why some may be a bit apprehensive about trying them, is they're just plumb different. E-Shave products have different packaging, scents, etc.... they're a far cry from your seemingly "normal" tub of Trumpers - and I mean this in a good way. Their shaving brushes have very long shapely handles, their stands are odd, and original looking, and their products are an artistic expression of the companies founder - Danielle Malka. Of their line of 6 different fragrances, only TWO are commonly found in other lines - the Almond and Lavender scented cream. E-shaves Floral, Citrus, White Tea, and the subject of this article, Cucumber, are all special/specific to E-Shave.

First - let's talk about my only gripe RE: these products, then we'll get to the good stuff. I think they put the shaving cream, and the after-shave in the wrong tubs. The after-shave is in a wide tub, and the shaving cream in a narrow tub, which makes no sense, as the narrow tub is more difficult to get the cream out of with a brush. Other than this trivial gripe - these E-Shave products simply leave nothing to be desired. Let's take a look!

Shaving Cream.....


This is a very rich, decadent shaving cream.


Since this is a concentrated shaving cream, you don't need much to really get an overwhelming amount of luxurious lather. Here's just a quick dip in the tub with my E-Shave badger brush.....


Brush loaded with cream and ready to create an abundance of lather!


After a few stirs, the brush is loaded with a beautifully scented cucumber lather. This lather is unlike most others and is significantly more moisturizing and slick.......






Time to apply the lather....


Incredibly thick, luxurious and moisturizing. The cucumber fragrance is incredibly refreshing and relaxing - a must have!


This shaving cream provides beautiful lubrication and works exceptionally well with cartridge razors, DE razors, OR straight razors alike. Not only does it provide superb lubrication, it is also one of the most moisturizing creams, if not the most moisturizing cream, and leaves your face feeling incredibly soft. E-Shave creams are really hard to NOT love! After a shave... you're left wanting more!



Traditionally after a shave... you follow up with an after-shave. While not necessary with this outstanding shaving cream - as it leaves your face in better condition than when you started, you can finish your princely shave with one of E-Shaves matching (and superlative) after-shave balms.







Take just a TINY bit of this thick moisturizing cream and rub/work it into your wet face, and you'll be gifted with babies smooth/soft skin. A little tiny dab of this product goes a LONG way, so don't get overzealous!


Overall: An E-Shave is an "Excellent-Shave" - period. The whole experience from start to finish, is Excellent all around... the scents, the feeling of the products, the quality of the shave, the feel of the brush - just a truly royal experience. E-Shave products leave very little to be desired, and really make a lot of their competitors products seems just plumb inadequate. Incredibly moisturizing, superb quality, outstanding value, and a truly a must have in every enthusiasts toiletry locker.

Take a trip to E-Shave and experience what you're missing!

[Baloosh]

Definitely a YMMV type of experience, as are most all things wetshaving related.

I just could never get into the entire range of products. For me, and again this is just for me... the brushes' handles are too long, the creams are a bit too weird-smelling (I don't even like Nancy Boy's Replenishing cream because of the cucumber smell) and the A/S balm never quite sank into my skin enough for me, no matter how much I used (tiny tiny dab... dime-sized amount, etc).

I see lots of great feedback on the range of products, and this latest one pretty much says what most of the guys say about the eShave product line. However, I never experienced the pinnacle of performance that some others have with this line.

But like I said, YMMV.

[Handy]

Good review Joel but just a little too much like a commercial for me. Did E-Shave send you that stuff in return for a review.............

[ouch]

Their white tea cream is one of my top five- no small feat.

Excellent stuff.

[BUCCANEER]

I've tried the white tea and cucumber. Both are just as described!!

[Phog Allen]

Hi Joel. Agreed about the quality. I replied in another post today about the lavender e-shave cream and said pretty much what you did; that e-shave is about as good as anything else providing your skin likes it etc. I have used both the cucumber and white tea shave cream samples and loved the white tea but was so so on the cucumber. I don't know if the cucumber is EO or FO scented but it was a bit synthetic to my nose. This did not translate to the shave which was excellent. You now have me wanting to grab the two little a/s balm samples that came with the package I bought and revisit them. I don't think I paid much attention to them when they arrived. My experience with most of the white lotion/balm products is pretty bad. This one will have to be tried again. Thanks for the great pics and glad to see someone else who does not pooh pooh e-shave because they don't project a continental or British theme.

Regards, Todd

[joel]

Good review Joel but just a little too much like a commercial for me. Did E-Shave send you that stuff in return for a review.............

Those items were purchased at full MSRP. Insinuating I was bribed into giving them a positive review is both inflammatory, and insulting.

[Isaias]

Those items were purchased at full MSRP. Insinuating I was bribed into giving them a positive review is both inflammatory, and insulting.

Not exactly bribed and IMO you should not be offended. Joel, the first thought of a today's precautious man is that the review, the first one I remember on the front page, is a form of publicity. However we know the important contributions and reviews you have made to this site. I do believe you made this thread thinking on the benefit of the members of the board. After all, this is one of the few sites that has remained add free and we really thank you for that. Good job and keep em coming.

OTOH, I am not really convinced by the photos. It definitely looks weird and perhaps it is a matter of trying it by yourself. It seems like Joel had to use a bit more cream than what I am used to without creating a lot of lather (2 passes for me). Looks like a Nancy Boy kind of cream which I do not like. The brush's handle appears to be long and too thin for my taste.

[Nick]

Good review Joel but just a little too much like a commercial for me. Did E-Shave send you that stuff in return for a review.............

Having used the products, and interacted with Danielle as well, I can fully understand where Joel's coming from, though he's much more unbiased than I am on the matter.

The products are top notch (loooove the White Tea shave cream), and Danielle is one of the nicest, most honest people in the industry IMO.

I'll gladly advertise for eShave, AND buy their products.

-Nick

[Clark]

This stuff is average at best!

[ramstallion]

Used my cucumber aftershave creme this morning - definitely a staple in my collection as well as the soothing aftershave moisturizer.

[Nocturne]

Glad I'm not the only one to enjoy their products; except from Joel's reviews, eShave doesn't get much love on these boards...

Besides the fact that their designs are somewhat too "metrosexual" for my taste, I'm really fond of some of their products. Cucumber and white tea creams are both unique and great. (am I the only one to smell pineapple in the white tea cream?) This said, I'm a citrus lover and don't care for their version.

On the soap side (which gets even less attention than their creams... ) I find that eShave soaps fare well among other France made SS. Although the lavender is good, the linden avocado is among my all-time favorites. A downside with their soaps are the coverless plain metal bowls. On the brightside, the pucks fit perfectly well in glass anchor bowls.

I also own their "T" stand (gift from my GF), from which I pick my 38C and my Rooney super every morning.

Noc.

Note: Are eShave products so suspiscious that one needs to get bribed to write a nice review of them?

[bthomasb]

for whatever reason, ê-shave was one of the first lines i tried out once i'd gotten off the ground wet shaving.

i found their performance to be very good, or at least fine, but the scents are too artificial and silly smelling for me. particularly the white tea, which smells like some super synthetic sweet, ridiculous convenience store candy-fied concoction.

the cucumber, too, is one of the most artificial smelling renditions of cucumber i've ever smellt. like, newest drugstore deoderants artificial.

also, i e-mailed them once to ask whether there was actually any cucumber in their cucumber aftershave balm or cucumber shaving cream (or "shave cream"...), and never got a response. i couldn't find it on the label, although perhaps a trace amount goes under "fragrance"/parfum.

the shaving soaps in particular are excellent performance-wise, though. they say they lather like a cream and so they do (though i prefer soaps, so). magically, after you whisk your brush over them you suddenly have a cream's lather on your brush. i find Trumper's soaps to have a similar effect.

unfortunately, the avocado-linden soap i have has another ridiculous, sickeningly sweet, cheap perfume fragrance. very "perfumey" at that.

[jramire2]

Of their line of 6 different fragrances, only TWO are commonly found in other lines - the Almond and Lavender scented cream. E-shaves Floral, Citrus, White Tea, and the subject of this article, Cucumber, are all special/specific to E-Shave.

I don't have a whole lot of experience w/their full line of products, as I've only tried a sample of their aftershave balm and have a full 8oz bottle of their unscented aftershave soother (average IMO). However, I do have a pretty good handle on their creams. I have all of their scents in shaving cream, except for the new lavender. They all perform admirably and are well balanced in regards to scent (not overly strong, but not practically unscented either). That being said, I'm not sure I agree w/their scents not being commonly found among other brands. I think their marketing/packaging and "naming of scents" is fairly unique. But their scents, other than white tea and possibly cucumber, are fairly common. Allow me to decipher the names of their scents and what they really smell like IMO.

Floral = Rose
Citrus = Lime (definitely not grapefruit like Salters Citrus)
Almond = Almond (on the sweeter side like Taylors)
Cucumber = cucumber, but definitely not the "fresh" cucumber scent like NB Replenishing
lavender = lavender I would assume as I have yet to try it

I know that scent is very YMMV, but I'd find it very difficult for a person to crack open a tub of floral and not think of rose scented creams, the same with citrus.

That being said I like their line of creams. They seem to perform well regardless of the scent (unlike some lines where a specific scent seems to perform better than the rest), and shave well. I don't mind their packaging, but have the same gripe as Joel in regards to form vs. function (who puts a balm in a flat tub?).

[Winzzy]

IF the essential where an eshave manufactured brush, would it be the middle line of hair quality?

[RichmondR]

I just sniffed the lavender at lunch and it doesn't smell a lot like lavender, but I thought the others all smelled intriguing.

So ... based on the inspiration of Joel's review, today at lunch I purchased my wife a small gift set with a blue Pure Badger brush and White Tea cream that I am going to stick in with her usual Valentine's Day Bath and Body Works gift basket full of stinky stuff. If she hates it, I figure: 1) I can blame it on Joel, and 2) I end up with the cream and an extra kinda cool looking brush.

[Winzzy]

That is a genious idea!

[joel]

I just sniffed the lavender at lunch and it doesn't smell a lot like lavender, but I thought the others all smelled intriguing.

So ... based on the inspiration of Joel's review, today at lunch I purchased my wife a small gift set with a blue Pure Badger brush and White Tea cream that I am going to stick in with her usual Valentine's Day Bath and Body Works gift basket full of stinky stuff. If she hates it, I figure: 1) I can blame it on Joel, and 2) I end up with the cream and an extra kinda cool looking brush.

She won't. My Mrs. LOVES shaving with a brush, and is a big fan of the E-Shave stuff. I'm sure yours will enjoy it as well

[eto]

This product is the first I've used since I started wet shaving with straights and DE , so have nothing to really compare, But it does seem like a fine product, I use the cucumber shave cream and aftershave. The brush also seems very good.